Folding stretcher for ambulances



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BREIV, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING STRETCHER FOR AMBULANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,547, dated July 28,1891.

Application filed December 6, 1890. Serial No. 373,846- (No model.)

To all whom, it may C0lbC-67'IL.

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BREW, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oflllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in FoldingStretchers for Ambulance-Vehicles, of which the following is adescription,reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, the sameforming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a novel construction of a folding stretcher forthe reception and conveyance of suffering individuals from the scene ofan accident to a place of treatment, and is intended to be applied toambulance-vehicles, relieving to a great measure the agony of suchinjured in the act of transporting the same.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents the stretcher in top viewas constructed, the canvas or mattresses united. Fig. 2 is a bottom Viewof the foregoing figure, showing the mode of joining the ends of thecanvas or mattresses. Fig. 3 relates to an end view of the apparatus inconnection with such appliances for operating the same. Fig. 4: showsthe canvas ormattresses of the stretcher parted, each part wound aroundon its respective side rails of the apparatus; and Fig. 5 is a side viewof the stretcher in folded position to be stowed away in anambulance-car when not in use.

The apparatus as constructed relates to a Wooden frame provided withstuffed canvas or mattresses in size to fit into an ambulancecar andcapable of carrying a full-grown person, and consists of a pair ofsquare side rails A B, with projecting round top and bottom ends a Z),in length to serve as handles for transporting the stretcher, and onwhich the head-board C and foot-board D are attached and securelyfastened. Said boards are made of two parts 0 cl, Figs. 3 and 4., joinedtogether in middle by hinges e e for the object to fold the frametogether for storage, as shown in Fig. 5. The lower portion of the saidends a b,protrudingthrough the footboard D, are squared to admit afitting-crank f, with a handle for turning the side rails.

The head and foot boards of the stretcher are provided at their underside with rollers g h for removing the same easily from the ambulance.

To the square side rails A B of the frame is securely fastened a stulfedcanvas or mattress E, made of two equal parts 'i it, each part providedalongside the canvas with aseries of intersecting loops Z Z at equaldistances r r, and when the same are matched in middle of the frame aniron rod m, with a handle on its end, is employed to run through theloops for uniting both parts of the mattress or canvas, the lowerportion of the square side rails inside the foot-board hearing each afitting ratchet-wheel n o, in con- 55 nection with pawls p p, fastenedproperly to the foot-board D to keep the side rails in firm positionwhen it becomes necessary to stretch the canvas or mattress tightly overthe surface of the frame. A projecting flap sis con- 7c nected to the"end lengthwise of one of the half parts of the canvas or mattress,overlapping the matched ends of the same evenly, to protect the rod mfrom being bent and preventinconvenience to a person while carried onthe stretcher.

When the apparatus is called into requisition for serving a sufferingperson to be conveyed to a place of accommodation, the stretcher, withthe individual, is placed at its destination on a bed, the rod 172extracted from its hold a, which relieves the loops Z Z, and the crank19 is applied to the projecting ends of the side rails A B, and, turningthe same in opposite directions, the disunited partsilc of the canvas ormattress are parted gradually and without molestation underneath thesuffering person and leave the same on the bed in the precise positionas on the stretcher, while the apparatus is carefully o lifted andcarried away for further use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In anambulance'stretcher, the side rails A 13, provided with head and footboards 0 D, 5 the same having ratchet-wheelsn o and pawls p p, thelatter connected tothe joining parts 0 (L of the foot-board D, which hasbearingrollers g h, said side rails A B being connectedwith a canvas ormattress 01 k, snbstantially as shown, for the purpose described.

2. In an ambulance-stretcher, the canvas or mattress of the same,provided with a flap s and loops Z Z and a rod m, the samein connectionwith the frame of the stretcher, substantially as shown, allconstructed, com-- C. W. CRARY, LEWIS J. CRARY.

